In a statement jointly given by Federal Police Commissioner Zeinu Jemal and representatives from the Federal Attorney General and the Addis Ababa Police Commission today, it was announced that forensic and other evidences indicate that the Manager of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Simegnew Bekele (Eng.), committed suicide.

According to the investigation results from Simegnew’s phone call with his secretary, the letter he left and forensic results, the police said that the engineer committed suicide.
Mr Simegnew’s body was found in a car in the main square of Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.

The engineer was in charge of the country’s controversial multi-billion-dollar project to dam the Nile.

Spontaneous demonstrations broke out in the wake of his death as some thought he had been murdered.

At the time, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said he was “saddened and utterly shocked” by the news of Mr Simegnew’s death.